Weatherproof plant label holder



Nov. 6, 1934. E. BECKETT WEATHERPROOF PLANT LABEL HOLDER Original Filed 001;. 22, 1952 FIG.E

(a rPJt/Ca INVENTUR /3---C a mpa 71 (12a Patented Nov. 6, 1934 l UNITE sures PATT FFICE Application October 22, 1932, Serial No. 639,056 Renewed March 29, 1934 8 Claims.

i This invention relates to improvements in plant label holders, and its leading object is to provide a holder for plant labels, which will be durable in outdoor weather, which can be inserted in the 15 soil, without corroding, and which will provide a water tight sealed container for hand written labels.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a holder for plant labels, which includes an enclosing case and post stamped from a single pieceof metal or other material, preferably zinc or similar Weather resistance metal or material,

and twin plane glass plates which are held under compression by a removable spring, against the opposite sides of a rubber gasket, within which the paper or other plant label is disposed, so that the marginal edges of the paper label are wholly protected from capillary absorption of rain water, or otherwise.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain new and useful combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specification, and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of. the improved plant holder.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the holder, with the post broken away.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction or the arrow.

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the gasket and label.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the label holder, taken on an enlarged scale.

Fig. '7 is a detailed cross section of the post.

Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional view through the case.

Referring to the accompanying drawing illustrating the practical embodiment of my invention 5 designates the case frame or body of the holder, which is preferably constructed by stamping out the same from sheet zinc or similar 45 weather resisting material, so as to provide a cut-out window 6, bounded by the integral cross bars 7 and 8 and the integral end bars 9 and 10. The cross bars 7 and 8 are integrally connected with the side walls 7a and 8a., and the end bars 50. 9 and 10 are integrally connected with the end walls 911 and 1011, the whole thus forming a boxlike frame.

The supporting post 11 is integrally connected with the side wall 711 by the triangular portion 55. 11a, and is U-shaped in cross section, so that it will be stiff enough to be manually driven into the soil, and thus provide a stable support for the case frame of the label holder.

- The end wall 9a is provided with a hook flange 9b and the opposite end wall is provided with a similar hook flange 10?), which is formed with re-- taining recesses 10c and 1003, located near the ends thereof. A U-shaped wire spring 12 is associated with the two flanges 9b and 101), the intermediate cross; bar 12a of said spring being arranged to detachably engage the hook flange 9b, and the terminals of the spring bars 122) and 120 of said spring being adapted to engage the retaining recesses 10c and 10d. The spring bars 12?) and 120 are formed with spring bends 12b and 120.

The label is in the form of a rectangular sheet or piece of paper 13, and this is enclosed by the resilient rubber gasket 14, which thus forms a container for the same, when placed between the companion sheets'of plane glass 15 and 16. The label, the gasket surrounding the same, and the pieces of fiat glass are inserted in the frame case, by sliding the separate pieces edgewise, under the hook flanges, so that the assembly rests upon the marginal bars of the window. The spring 12 is then placed in position so that the spring bends 12b and 120 thereof will engage the adjacent piece of glass, with the intermediate cross bar 12a thereof secured under the hook flange 9b. The terminals of the spring bars are then forced under the opposite hook flange 10b and secured in the recesses 10c and 10d thereof.

In this way the spring 12 holds the gasket under compression between the fiat pieces of glass, and the marginal edges of the label are wholly protected from capillary absorption of rain or other water. The label is actually held in a container constructed of the gasket and the fiat pieces of glass,and all moisture is excluded from contact with the label.

The spring 12 exerts pressure on the engaged sheet of flat glass centrally of its ends, so that the pressure is equally distributed over the gasket and the companion sheet of fiat glass, and full contact under uniform pressure is thus established between the glass sheets and the gasket.

The gasket is thicker than the label stock, so that the label will not in any way be held under pressure, and is preferably larger than the label, so that this freedom from pressure on the label may be maintained readily.

The combined frame case is preferably supported at an angle to the integral post, so that the label may be more readily understood. The supporting post is stamped or formed with integral 0 reinforcing beads 11b, which tend to stiffen the same against bending. As the post is of open U-shaped form, as shown in Fig. 7, it can be readily forced into the soil, and will have maximum frictional contact therewith, so as to effectively resist withdrawal.

The end walls and the side walls of the box-like frame case provide drain protecting surfaces, which deflect the drainage of the rain or other water falling upon the label holder, away from the rear side of the same.

It is understood that the label holder can be constructed in any size required, in any preferred shape or dimension, and of any material which will serve the purpose. I

Owners of private gardens, and managers of public gardens, naturally desire to have any label holders used look neat, and remain neat after long use. My improved label holder is attractive in general appearance, will remain for a long time Without loss of its general appearance, and yet is of such simple construction, that it permits of low cost manufacture. This also provides a device which can be opened and supplied with the proper plant label, by any ordinary garden worker, without the use of special tools.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. A plant label holder, consisting of a frame case and a standard constructed of a single piece of weather resisting metal, the frame case being provided with an open window and with box-like side walls forming a closure, and means for holding a plant label in said frame case to expose the same to view through the window, which means provides water excluding protection therefor.

2. A plant label holder, consisting of a frame case and a supporting standard formed of a single piece of metal, the standard being of approximately .U-shaped construction and connected to the frame case by an integral triangular portion which is formed with an integral reinforce, the frame case having an open window and side walls providing a box-like enclosure, opposing side walls being formed with hook flanges, a combined label holder and sealing gasket arranged in the frame case against the window,

and means for retaining the same therein which engages the hook flanges.

3. A plant label holder consisting of a standard and a frame case carried on the upper end thereof, said frame case being provided with a window, companion transparent plates disposed in the frame case against the window, a flat open rectangular gasket disposed between the plates and forming a container for a plant label, and means for holding the plates and gasket in the frame to maintain the gasket under compression, whereby a plant label located within the gasket will be sealed against water falling on the frame case.

4. A plant label holder consisting of a frame having a window, a support connected thereto, said frame having opposing flanges, a transparent plate arranged in the frame against the window, a gasket arranged against the plate, a plant label thinner than the gasket enclosed by the same and disposed against the plate, a second plate disposed against the gasket, and means engaging the flanges and disengageable therefrom which will maintain pressure on the plates and gasket to exclude water from the label.

5. A plant label holder having a frame providing a window, a transparent member disposed against the window, a gasket disposed against the member and providing a label container, and means engaging the gasket to seal a plant label therein.

6. A plant label holder having a frame providing a window, a transparent member disposed against the window, a gasket disposed against the member and providing a container fora plant label, a plate engaging the gasket and having contacting engagement therewith, said frame having opposed flanges, and a spring having detachable engagement with the flanges, said spring having bearing against the last named plate to hold the gasket under compression to completely seal a plant label therein.

7. A plant label holder having a frame providing a window, a transparent'member disposed against the window, a' gasket disposed against the member and providing an enclosure for a plant label, a second transparent member disposed against the gasket, said frame having a flange on each end thereof, and a U-shaped spring detachably engaged with one flange and adapted to detachably engage the other flange, the spring having a bearing between its ends against the second transparent member.

8. A plant label holder consisting of a frame provided with a window, a supporting post formed integrally with the window, said frame having enclosing side and end walls, a transparent member disposed against the window, a gasket disposed against the member and having an opening to receive a plant label whereby the same may engage the transparent member, a plate disposed against the gasket, one end wall of the frame having a hook flange and the opposite end wall having a hook flange formed with recesses, and a U-shaped wire spring having its intermediate bar engaged with the hook flange and its terminal portions detachably engaged withthe recesses of the other flange, the legs of the wire spring being bent laterally to have spring pressure bearing engagement with the plate, whereby the gasket will be maintained under compression and a plant label enclosed thereby will be sealed against water.

EDWIN BECKETT. 

